Archive: January 30, 2018

Join the fun with Prana Yoga Center’s 2nd Annual 21 Day Yoga Challenge for a Cause, a benefit for Anderson Animal Shelter. Improve your health while supporting a great organization which provides food, medication, vaccinations and more for rescued and homeless animals. Prana Yoga Center will match your $25 registration fee and 100% of the proceeds to Anderson Animal Shelter, Elgin IL.

HOW IT WORKS Take a yoga class at Prana Yoga as often as you can from February 5–25, 2018. By day 21, you will be stronger, feel lighter, look better, have a more positive outlook and experience less stress in everyday life. Each time you take a class you will fill out a raffle ticket at the front desk for a chance to win weekly prizes from our generous sponsors. The more you practice, the more chances you have to win! Practice everyday for the 21 days of the challenge and be eligible to win a one month unlimited yoga membership, a private Ayurveda consultation and more! Sponsor raffle prizes include:

Alphagraphics

Alison Valentine Interior Design Cabi

Chazio’s Hair Colour Salon

Cocoon

Fruitful Yield

Healing the Hurt Massage

Heritage Prairie Farms

Libby Scanlon Massage

Lulu’s Whole Food Kitchen

OM Medi Spa

Odalisque Beauty Apothecary

Prana Yoga Center

Peaceful Parlour

Salternative Spa

Trader Joe’s

and more!

REGISTRATION $25 per person. Registration includes wristband and eligibility for weekly drawings. Pick up challenge bracelet from your instructor at front desk. *Cost of yoga classes are not included in the registration fee.

ABOUT ANDERSON ANIMAL SHELTERAnderson Animal Shelter collaborates with public and private organizations and individuals to shelter, care for and promote the adoption of homeless, stray and unwanted companion animals. The Shelter is a 501c3 charitable organization and does not receive any federal or state funding. The Shelter advocates for the compassionate and humane treatment of these animals through direct care, humane education and community outreach programs. For more information on Anderson Animal Shelter, including adoption, volunteering, donation drives and membership opportunities, please visit www.andersonanimalshelter.org, email info@andersonanimalshelter.org or contact us by phone 847-697-2880. The Shelter is located at 1000 South La Fox Road, South Elgin, IL 60177.

Back by popular demand is Prana Yoga Center’s 21 Day Challenge for a Cause!!! In an effort to be good stewards of our animal friends and inspire renewed vigor in your yoga practice we are offering the 21 Day Challenge for a Cause to benefit Andersen Animal Shelter.

Not sure if you want to commit? Here are the top five reasons you should join our challenge.

Fun. It’s the dead of winter in the Midwest and who can’t use a little extra fun in their life?? Increasing the number of days you practice yoga is sure to put a little extra spring in your step. Try new classes, new teachers, new styles.

Deepen your Practice.Take one of our February workshops. Workshops allow you to experience your practice in a deeper and more specific way. The workshop will count as your challenge practice for that day. Consider registering for one (or all) of the following:

Restorative Yoga and Acupuncture-Feb. 2

The Art of Meditation-Feb. 3

Valentine’s Day Partner Yoga-Feb. 9

Mini-Retreat-Feb. 10

Everyday Ayurveda- Feb. 17

Win Fun PrizesEvery day that you practice at Prana you will fill out a raffle ticket to be put in the drawing for that day’s prize. There will be daily and weekly drawings as well as an overall winner at the end of the challenge. The prizes range from massages, restaurant gift certificates, yoga gear, play tickets, and more.

Warm Up with Infrared HeatBeat the winter chill with a class in our state of the art infrared heated yoga studio. Infrared heat is a section or “band” of invisible light present on the electromagnetic spectrum. Discovered in the early Nineteenth century by Sir William Herschel who found that the temperatures on the color spectrum went up as they moved towards red. The temperature just beyond red was the highest. Traditional heat therapy can be uncomfortable, inefficient, ineffective, hazardous, and unhygienic. Infrared heat provides the therapeutic effects of heat therapy without the drawbacks. Notable benefits: Increased flexibility and circulation, pain relief, detoxification, clearer skin, and more calories burned.

Help Our Animal FriendsDuring this month of love and romance, show your love for our animal friends in need. Anderson Animal Shelter has been saving lives and serving the Fox Valley region for more than 50 years. Anderson receives no federal or state funding so relies on and appreciates the generosity of its friends. Anderson provides low cost spay/neutering, training services, pet re-homing, therapy dog programs, military veteran’s programs, and much more. Check out more great work Andersen Animal Shelter provides on their website at andersonanimalshelter.org

It’s likely that most of us began our yoga journey with the physical practice of yoga, or asana. We felt better almost instantly. With time our body changed, our practice shifted, and eventually we started to realize that the practice of yoga really wasn’t all about the postures. We realized that there is a depth to this ancient practice and we had only started to scratch the surface.

How do we navigate these deeper waters? What can we do to deepen our practice in this new year?

1. Commit.

Renew your commitment to your physical practice. While asana is the metaphorical tip of the iceberg it is still an essential part of a complete yoga practice. In yoga, as in most everything else in life, showing up is key. Author Brene Brown eloquently said, “Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up.”

The more you “show up” the deeper you will naturally go. If you currently practice once a week, challenge yourself to doubling that to two. Consider upgrading to a Prana Yoga Center membership that includes two classes a week at significant savings.

“Do your practice and all is coming.”

~Sri Pattabhi Jois

2. Adjust.

Consider the style of practice that you began with and ask yourself if it’s continuing to serve you. We can go deeper in our practice by paying attention to how we are responding to our practice and adjusting as need be.

The body has a finely tuned natural intelligence that gives us feedback as we move through our practice. How easily do you maintain your breath through the practice? At the end of practice is your energy level depleted or invigorated? Where are you mentally when you practice? Is it a chore or a treat?

Be willing to be curious and to question your practice. Make the changes and adjustments that will allow your practice to more honestly suit the body you are practicing with today.

3. Community.

Being a part of a community of diverse and committed yogis is a sure way to spark motivation to deepen your practice. Join the Prana Yoga Center Book Club and make new friends, enjoy good literature, and feel more engaged in our yoga community. We meet one Thursday night a month at 7:00pm. This month we meet on Jan. 18th to discuss the book Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Gregory Boyle. Please join us (even if you haven’t read the book!)

4. Challenge.

In February Prana Yoga Center is once again is fundraising for Anderson Animal Shelter for a 21 Day Challenge for a Cause. Practice 21 days in February between February 5-23rd, 2018. The more you practice, the more you win.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

~Mahatma Gandhi

5. Yoga Beyond Asana.

Yoga Beyond Asana is an enrichment study program that will progressively reveal the time-tested art, science, and ancient wisdom of yoga while relating it to modern life. Deepening your practice is what this program is all about. It will transform your yoga practice, your innermost self and your life. You will learn the practical application of yoga that will inspire you to become your best self bringing you greater joy and fulfillment.

As we begin 2018 we invite you to: commit, adjust, join our community, challenge yourself, and take your practice beyond asana into the true heart of yoga.

“True yoga is not about the shape of your body, but the shape of your life. Yoga is not to be performed: yoga is to be lived. Yoga doesn’t care about what you have been: yoga cares about the person you are becoming. Yoga is designed for a vast and profound purpose, and for it to be truly called yoga, its essence must be embodied.”

5 Ways Regular Yoga Practice Can Make Your Everyday Life Better

Are you looking for ways to make your everyday life better? Incorporating yoga into your routine is a great way to do so. Yoga offers many benefits to individuals of all ages and lifestyles. Today, we’ll share with you five ways in which regular yoga practice can make your life better:

1. Reduce Anxiety and Stress

Having anxiety is quite common, but you can take steps to lessen the anxiety that you feel. You can even fight anxiety naturally, and yoga is one exercise that can help you do just that. Mayo Clinic suggests that yoga can reduce stress and anxiety, and even help those with chronic anxiety or depression. Taking part in yoga can allow you to live a more comfortable and happy life.

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2. Increase Muscle Strength and Tone

Are you looking to make positive physical changes to your body? Yoga does a lot more than increase flexibility. With repeated practice, you can improve muscle strength and tone throughout your body. This can make you stronger, but can also make you look better, too!

3. Improve Your Sleep

If you’re struggling to fall asleep or feel you don’t get enough sleep, you may be looking for a natural solution. Once you get into a regular yoga routine, your sleep can improve greatly. The National Yoga Foundation notes that yoga can help you fall asleep faster, sleep for longer time periods and even fall asleep more quickly after waking up in the middle of the night.

4. Improve Your Heart Health

Yoga can also benefit your heart, as your blood pressure and heart rate can be lowered with regular practice. Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that yoga can help to prevent or manage heart disease. If you have a history of heart disease, it may be worth talking to a doctor about incorporating yoga into your routine.

5. Improve Self-Esteem

If you’re particularly hard on yourself, your negative self-thinking can carry through different parts of your life. Making changes that allow you to treat yourself well can give you a better look at life and allow you to feel more at ease. Yoga Journal suggests that yoga practice can allow you to have less judgment about your body.

As you can see, yoga offers many powerful benefits and can impact different areas of your life. If you’re wondering if there is a yoga class here at Prana Yoga Center for you there is! Now is a great time to find a studio near you so that you can better your life. Give this powerful practice a try!